Charlotte has little recollection of her home in America. Since the age of six, she has lived with her family in England. Now they are returning to the New World after seven years, and Charlotte has an exciting sea voyage ahead of her. Her parents, sister and brother have already left. Having finished her studies for the term, she too will make the trip on a ship owned by the company that employs her father, accompanied by two other families also making the journey.

Upon arriving at the dock where the Seahawk is moored, however, Charlotte learns that the other passengers will not be joining her. The ship's crew has scared away anyone who might want to board the ship. Believing she has no choice but to follow her father's instructions, Charlotte ignores warnings from the vessel's sailors. The cook, an elderly black man by the name of Zachariah, explains that the crew seeks revenge against the harsh Captain Jaggery.…
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Nathaniel and Bartimaeus try to discover who is controlling the Golem they believe is responsible for a series of high-profile acts of destruction across London. While they are in Prague secretly attempting to make contact with any Czech magicians who may still retain the secret of making Golems, the Resistance movement attempts to rob Gladstone's tomb in Westminster Abbey. The theft is foiled by the Afrit Honorious, insane after a century bound to Gladstone's skeleton. Nathaniel returns to London and must prove the credibility of his investigation by destroying the rogue Afrit, tracking down Kitty Jones, and locating the Golem's controller, almost certainly a member of the government.

The middle book in a trilogy always has to work a bit harder to keep up the momentum. The first book, if it paces things right, has the set-up and the introduction of characters to carry itself forward. The final book is building up for the dénouement. The middle book has to…
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Many children have imaginary friends, but few people wonder where they live. Beekle is just such a friend, waiting to be imagined and befriended by someone. Most of the other imaginary friends leave their island home, but no child awaits Beekle. Thus, he sets out to find a friend of his own in a gray world full of people too busy to imagine anything.

I love books that highlight relationships, especially that treasured one that exists between grandparent and grandchild. Lauren Castillo's lively, colorful illustrations depict life in Manhattan, seen from a young boy's perspective as he visits his "Nana". At first he is overwhelmed and convinced that such a noisy, action-packed city is not an appropriate place for his grandmother to live. She uses that sixth sense that grandmothers seem to have and dispels…
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Bernie has a soft spot for unwanted animals. His barn teems with an assortment of birds, rodents and even horses. Just the same, there is order in the building. A duck, known as the Lady, oversees the residents. When she decides that the mangy cat Whittington should join the family, everyone agrees. Well, nearly everyone. The rats are not happy. Whittington is descended from a long line of skilled ratters, and only a precarious truce gains their concession.

Bernie's grandchildren, Abby and Ben, love to help feed the animals. The children confide to them that Ben has trouble reading. The Lady decides that the animals must help him. Abby promises to give Ben reading lessons in the barn everyday under their supervision. When Ben becomes especially frustrated, the Lady invites Whittington to explain his family history, for the cat can claim as his own ancestor the cat of the famous Dick Whittington. Dick's trials and adventures, along with the affection…
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This book of fables presents stories from various Asian countries. The tales are organized according to the virtue they exemplify. These include unity, forgiveness, sobriety, wisdom, justice and perseverance, among others. Each story is simple enough for younger children to understand. Although they come from a wide variety of countries, their message is universal. Each fable could be used as a starting point for discussions about personal responsibility, charity and understanding. Proverbs at the end of each story provide food for thought. The author includes background information about the fables, examples of similar stories and suggestions as to how to use them as part of a lesson on character.

Jennifer Minicus is a full-time wife and mother currently living in Ridgewood, NJ.

Surprise often brings color to an otherwise dull life. This is exactly what happens to a grumpy, old farmer when a young clown falls off a passing train and lands in his field. Reluctantly he takes the child home and cares for him. The farmer teaches the youngster his trade and the child shows this "old dog" a few tricks.

Marlee Frazee's brown and gray drawings, which tell her story without words, capture the lackluster routine of the farmer. The splash of color that the clown and his troupe add to the book accentuates the loneliness of the farmer. Although the clown is returned to the circus, the reader knows that their friendship will last.

Jennifer Minicus is a full-time wife and mother currently living in Ridgewood, NJ.

Mr. Popper is ready to settle down to a quiet winter when he finishes his last painting job of the season. He loves those cold months when he has plenty of time to read about his favorite subject: the Poles. Mrs. Popper, his fastidious wife, finds this time of year trying. It is hard to keep the house clean with a man underfoot. Little does she know that her husband will be the least of her worries.

Mr. Popper has unwittingly caught the attention of an arctic explorer who sends him a penguin as a pet. Immediately the penguin, whom they name Captain Cook, captures the heart of the entire Popper family. They acquire a second penguin from the zoo and in a few weeks there is an entire rookery in the little Popper home. Keeping these unusual pets cool and well fed becomes a full-time job for Mr. Popper.

Ingrid hates going to the orthodontist, especially when it makes her late for soccer practice. When neither her mother nor her father arrives on time at the office, she decides to walk to the field. While Ingrid loves mysteries and is an avid Sherlock Holmes fan, her own powers of observation are not so fine-tuned. In spite of living in Echo Falls all her life, she heads off in the wrong direction and only makes it to practice thanks to the help of an eccentric woman named Katie.

Ingrid does not give the incident much thought until she learns that Katie is found murdered soon thereafter and that the police are looking for any possible witnesses. Ingrid does not see the need to tell anyone that she was probably the last person to see Katie alive - until she remembers that she left her red soccer cleats at Katie's apartment. Caught between a sense of justice and the fear of…
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Eric is a typical grade school boy who would rather play ball than do his chores. Cleaning the basement becomes an adventure, though, when he discovers a hidden, magical staircase in a storage closet. With his friends Julie and Neal, Eric explores the land of Droon which the wicked Lord Sparr seeks to control. There they meet Princess Keeah and a wizard, Galen, whom they assist in this battle between good and evil.

Beginning readers who like the Magic Tree House books will enjoy the very similar Secrets of Droon series. While the characters are superficial and dialogue simplistic, these books are fast-paced and numerous, making them a good option for avid readers not ready for more substantial literature.

Jennifer Minicus is a full-time wife and mother living in Ridgewood, NJ.

In the field of children's literature there are plenty of simple picture books featuring families that have one or two siblings or one character, but not as many feature up to six siblings in one family as does Christopher’s Busy Day.

Christopher’s Busy Day is the story of the youngest boy in a family of six siblings. He goes about his day with one thing at the top of his list - the desire to play with his train set. However, his Mum repeatedly tells him: “Not now Christopher. Today we have a busy day!” Christopher has to wait through doctor's appointments, sibling school drop-offs, soccer practice for his brother, and then finally he falls asleep, too tired to play. The story has a very family-oriented ending.

Reading Matters is MercatorNet’s blog about children’s literature. Our goal is to enable parents and educators to find quality books for young people. For an explanation of our evaluation system, click here. We welcome reader input and new reviewers. We love comments on the book reviews. Write to us at jennifer.minicus@mercatornet.com.

highly recommended: you must read this! recommended: age-appropriate and entertainingacceptable: not outstanding but not problematicsome reservations: contains potentially problematic scenes or conceptsnot recommended: not appropriate for intended readers